Bilateral Blossoms: A Symphony of Diplomacy and Poetry Celebrating 50 Years of Thailand–Vietnam relations

The event marked the beginning of a series of cultural and literary exchanges among writers, poets, and artists from the two countries. The program was jointly organized by the Writers Association of Thailand, the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Thailand, the Thailand International PEN Centre under Royal Patronage and the Thai Poets Association, creating a culturally rich space for encounters and exchanges between Vietnam and Thailand.

CULTURE – A FOUNDATION FOR DEEPENING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS

Half a century of diplomatic relations has opened an increasingly broad path of cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand, evolving from the initial foundations of mutual trust to the framework of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2025. Alongside strategic areas of cooperation, culture provides another layer of depth to bilateral relations: One that is closer to people, rooted in their spiritual lives, and embodied in values preserved and passed down through generations.

Marking a diplomatic milestone through the world of literature and poetry therefore offers another perspective on the 50-year journey. The numbers and historical milestones remain, but behind them lie memories, emotions, and values cultivated over time. Culture brings the story of bilateral relations into a more intimate realm, where friendship can be experienced through things people can see, hear, share and feel.

In Udon Thani, this meaning takes shape in a very concrete setting: a place where diplomacy meets culture, where the values built over 50 years are carried forward through the voices of those working in literature and the arts. “Bilateral Blossoms” thus emerges as a bridge between the values nurtured throughout five decades of bilateral relations and contemporary cultural life, allowing Thailand–Vietnam friendship to continue to be experienced through emotions close to everyday life and enriched through cultural values passed from one generation to the next.

FROM THE OPENING MESSAGES TO THE DEPTH OF BILATERAL RELATIONS

The opening ceremony of “Bilateral Blossoms” offered perspectives on the 50-year journey of Vietnam–Thailand relations, while also conveying hopes for the development of bilateral ties in the decades to come. Through the messages shared at the event, the significance of this half-century milestone was placed within the continuity between achievements already attained and the responsibility to further nurture friendship in the future.

Speaking at the program, H.E. Pham Viet Hung, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Thailand, emphasized that the friendship between the two countries is vividly expressed through poetry and the presence of writers and poets at the gathering. According to the Ambassador, writers and poets, through their works and creative endeavors, can make an important contribution to strengthening cultural bonds, thereby bringing the peoples of the two countries closer together and fostering greater mutual understanding.

Looking toward the future, Ambassador Pham Viet Hung placed particular emphasis on the significance of the next 50 years: The 50-year friendship between the two countries is important, but the next 50 years will be even more important. This message highlights the importance of building upon the achievements created by previous generations, while also setting expectations for new contributions to Vietnam–Thailand relations. The Ambassador expressed his hope that writers and poets would continue to engage with contemporary life, reflect on the issues confronting people today and through the humanistic values of literature, contribute to creating a better and happier life for the peoples of both countries.

From the Thai side, Ms. Nareephop Sawatdisarak, President of the Writers Association of Thailand, emphasized the significance of choosing Udon Thani as the venue for the program, where Vietnamese and Thai writers and poets came together for a meaningful encounter. She particularly highlighted the 50 poems embodying distinctive cultural features of the two countries, viewing them as a defining element contributing to the beauty and identity of the program.

In her remarks, Ms. Nareephop Sawatdisarak evoked the Mekong River – a river that connects numerous countries and communities across the region – as a meaningful image when speaking of Vietnam and Thailand. Through the distinctive cultural expressions reflected in the 50 works, literature provides an additional source of inspiration for cultural exchange, allowing the values of each country to be introduced and shared in the spirit of friendship between the two peoples.

Continuing the messages shared at the event, Dr. Lae Dilokvidhyarat, Senator, viewed Vietnam-Thailand relations through the historical and developmental journeys that the two countries have experienced. In his view, bilateral relations have continued to expand across numerous fields, from culture and education to the economy, establishing important foundations for cooperation and development in a new era.

In particular, Dr. Lae Dilokvidhyarat expressed his confidence in the younger generations of Vietnam and Thailand to inherit, preserve, and further promote the core values of friendship between the two countries. The continuity between generations, he noted, will provide additional momentum for the foundations built in the past to be further strengthened and developed in the future. From this conviction, he conveyed his wish that Vietnam-Thailand friendship will remain forever green, enduring and flourishing through the passage of time.

A MEETING OF LITERATURE, OPENING NEW REALMS OF HARMONY

Speaking at the program, poet Tran Nhuan Minh expressed his deep emotion at returning to Udon Thani with fellow Vietnamese poets – a land that bears the imprint of President Ho Chi Minh’s years of revolutionary activities in Thailand. As the two countries celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the presence of Vietnamese and Thai poets in a place of such profound historical significance added further layers of meaning to the gathering.

Looking back at the journey of bilateral relations, poet Tran Nhuan Minh regarded the gathering as a noteworthy milestone in Vietnam-Thailand literary exchange. In particular, he described the launch of the selected poetry collection Thailand – Vietnam, published and released in Thailand, as “a major initiative with enduring value”. From the encounters and the poems shared, he expressed his hope that the friendship between the two countries, as well as the bonds between Vietnamese and Thai writers, would continue to be nurtured and strengthened over time.

From that historical depth, poet Bang Ai Tho brought the audience to a more intimate point of connection – a place where people can find one another through poetry. Half a century is a long journey in relations between two nations, yet in the emotional resonance of literature, the distances of time, geography, and language seem to become smaller. As she shared: “A poem can cross borders without a passport. A line of poetry can find sympathy in the hearts of people who have never met”.

Vietnamese and Thai poets came to the gathering from different lands, bringing with them their own voices, memories and creative journeys. Yet within these individual worlds, there were feelings that felt remarkably familiar: Love for one’s homeland, attachment to the places to which one belongs, memories preserved through the years and faith in beauty. These seemingly personal experiences became precisely the space in which the two cultures could recognize one another.

Reflecting this shared perspective, poet Doan Manh Phuong summed up the spirit of the gathering in a concise message: “Poetry knows no borders”. In his view, each nation has its own language, cultural life and forms of expression, but behind these differences lie emotions that people can share in their responses to homeland, life and humanistic values.

He particularly emphasized the power of literature to “enable people who have never met to recognize one another in their souls”. A poem may begin with a very specific homeland, a personal memory, or an ordinary moment in everyday life, yet when it reaches readers in another country, those deeply personal experiences can still awaken a familiar emotion.

THE SOUNDS OF POETRY IN THE VIETNAM–THAILAND ENCOUNTER

A highlight of the program was “Bilateral Blossoms” featuring the participation of prominent poets from Vietnam and Thailand. The works presented at the gathering carried diverse shades of life, homeland, memory and humanity, creating a distinctive poetic space within the ongoing literary exchange between the two countries.

From Vietnam, poets Kieu Bich Hau, Nong Thi Ngoc Hoa, Linh Chi – Nguyen Trong Thang, Nguyen Sy Binh, Nguyen Thi Minh Thai, Chu Thu Phuong, Khanh Phuong, Nguyen Vinh Tien, Vo Thi Nhu Mai, along with other participating authors, introduced their works. Each poem bore its own distinctive imprint, contributing to a portrait of the diversity of voices and perspectives in contemporary Vietnamese poetry.

Thai poets also brought representative works to the program, adding distinctive perspectives on Thai culture, people and everyday life. The presence of authors from both countries created a rich and multifaceted character for “Bilateral Blossoms” bringing together different generations, styles and creative voices in a shared space.

Through the poems shared in Udon Thani, “Bilateral Blossoms” added an emotionally resonant cultural dimension to the 50^th anniversary of Vietnam–Thailand relations. The gathering of writers from the two countries opened new connections through literature, allowing mutual understanding and friendship to continue to be nurtured through values that are intimate, enduring and universal./.

Doan Manh Hieu